Disclaimer: I don't own anything other than a few shirts, especially not Guilty Gear, any of it's characters or concepts.
~
I, as did all of you, began in chaotic darkness. When more than one person wanted to create something new. And then, I was thrust into this world against my will, with a shape I can only call my own because it has been forced upon me and a purpose predetermined by hands other than mine.
And just like you all, I have the power to reshape my destiny against the will of those who sought me to be their ideal puppet.
~
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
"He's coming around, doctor."
Who said that? What's that noise? Where am I?
"Has the subject been treated correctly?"
"As far as the directions left behind say, he should be prepped."
"Good. In that case, begin infusion with the Magic. Inject the human DNA on my signal."
…inject? Human?
"Human DNA stable. Beginning Magic infusion."
I'm cold…
"Three. Two… one!"
AAAAAAARHH!
"DNA combining. Evolution triggered."
"Let the process finish. It's almost lunch anyway."
"Yes, sir."
And then blackness again. For however long I was abandoned, I felt my shape unwillingly mutilated beyond the designs that God gave me. My tail… no, my entire spine was being pulled out at the lower half of my back by invisible hands with no regard for how I felt. My vertebrae themselves tickled the surface of my skin as they slid into places that only man could have mistakenly thought were correct. Slowly, I was made from what I was into something I never asked to be. I did the best I could to… sleep. And failed, literally, miserably. I watched the lights go on and off outside the prison that held me, day and night. I missed hunting, I missed the mountains and forests I once inhabited. And this zoo where those who played Mother Nature… I despised it.
"Good morning, 01."
Lying through your teeth. It's a terrible morning. I saw the sunrise hours ago. I can't clean myself, I can't eat, I can only lie here as I am forced to undergo YOUR designs on my body. It's anything but a good morning.
"He seems to be developing well. The people from the military sent you a memo, too. Apparently, they tested out that battle suit you wanted designed. Of course, it works well enough on people, but they say they'll need to see some of our research to modify it if it's going to be integrated into him directly."
…integrated? No more… please! No more!
"Tell them to organize a meeting two weeks from now. 01 will be ready by then. If not, then we'll consider this a failure and classify everything about him top secret. We can always find another official 01."
Please…
"Yes, sir."
And then…. that sharp feeling in my head before blanking out again.
"Gentlemen, I present to you, 01. The Command Type Gear."
A loud sound that I was later told was called applause. I hated it. Everyone made loud noise that hurt my ears even more, even more so than the fact they were now on the top and back of my head. Now I stood before these men in uniforms, and that man…. That man was there too, showing me off like a trophy. Then they all gathered around me like sharks heading towards a giant rotting whale, each wanted to have their fill.
"Well that's splendid, look at how the ribs have compressed together!"
"Yes, yes. Note how the front paws are shaped, I think we can put those gloves on it we remove a few bones."
"How many?"
"Well, I'm not a doctor, but I know he could use some more armaments. Look at those shoulders. Think we can put some spikes there?"
"You're thinking too close range combat. What about those solar powered pulse lasers they developed?"
"You know Zepp doesn't charge cheap for the components."
"I have a friend in the lower half of Zepp, he should be able to pull a few strings."
"Fine. But what about close range, anyway?"
"Well, he's a big boy. But we'll see about those gloves. Anything else?"
"He's all on video, X-Rayed, observed. This is just so you can meet him the flesh, my friends."
"Well, are you sure he can be controlled efficiently? We heard you had an accident a short while ago involving these… what are they called now… Gears?"
"A slight setback with a prototype model, 00. This Command Type, 01, will be the General of your Gear armies. Of course, ALL future production models will be directly networked to him. The slightest problem will be noticed and dealt with immediately."
"Dealt with?"
"Any Gear that malfunctions will be tracked and instantly dismantled. 01 will be able to disconnect it's mind from the network, leaving it standing around like a vegetable until your forces decide what justice will be served up."
Justice… what is… justice?
"Or for a small fee, we can issue the command to 01 to have all units in the area deal with it. Of course, the chances of a Gear actually malfunctioning now we have perfection in the form of 01 here is in fractions. Complete safety is assured."
"How do we know this one won't be a little daisy?"
"That's where you come in, gentlemen. When you're dressed for battle and highly strung, and feeding these thoughts to others, you can almost smell the victory."
"You raise a good point. Alright. I'll get hold of Lieutenant Michael in the Zepp Empire and see if I can get some of those solar panels. He enjoys collecting antiques."
"Is there anything else?"
"No, I think we've seen enough…. wait… it's eye just moved!"
"Impossible. It's probably just a thermal illusion in the water or a bubble. He's completely offline."
"Very well, Doctor. It's been a pleasure knowing you people in R&D are committed."
"Thankyou."
"Thankyou."
As they all left the room, that man turned to my tank and pressed his face against the glass. And he said something TO me for the first time. EVER.
"You, my friend, are going to help me. And as a treat, I'm going to stop the pain for a while."
Then he moved his arm to the side of my tank and I felt… good. My head felt a little floaty and finally, after so long… I went to sleep. I don't get a lot of sleep. But this time, I slept until… I don't know. Time lost meaning, I slept and had dreams. But then my dreams went away. I lost something, part of my mind. Something else replaced those memories. When I woke… I was still me, but I didn't feel like me anymore.
"And how are you today, 01?"
For the first time since I was brought here… not that I knew that… I could walk freely. My eyes opened… no, wait. Another pair of eyes opened, pretending to be mine. But I had forgotten who I was, so accepted that they were mine. I saw things differently. It was as though I had been born for the first time.
"I am… still sleepy."
Wait… that was… me talking!
"Ahh… so the vocal program is functioning nicely. And your motor skills are finally improving. No doubt you should be feeling a little more human seeing you've finally developed."
"Finally developed?"
"Don't ask too many questions. Just lie down. We only needed a quick test. Now lean forwards so I can put this into you and network you."
I did as I was told. That man did something… I felt the back of my head warming up and suddenly, a thousand… no, a million voices all cried out to me, telling me things, asking me things, demanding my orders. Orders? What orders? Who are you asking? Me? But who am I?… I am… me?
~
I still hear them. There is no longer a day or night, there is just… them. The Gears. They tell me I am someone, they tell me I have power that they want. They even tell me they have seen me, that I am the absolute. That I am someone. But I am just a voice that offers guidance. Aren't I?
~
I keep talking to the Gears when I am not telling them to kill each other. I feel strange when I tell one Gear to kill another. It's a feeling that I enjoy. It feels like it is right, that is, correct. One of the voices out there tells me that some Gears deserve to die because they oppose that which they are told. This concept is called justice. Then saying that, because I am the thing which gives them the right to kill each other based on desire… does this mean I am justice?
~
I hear some voices straining for their own will. Some wish to oppose me, to go their own way. But my will is justice. No, I AM Justice. Those who oppose me and do not function correctly must be terminated and disconnected. That is how things are, how things should be. It's only right.
~
A Gear was brought to where I exist today and I saw myself through his eyes. They are right. I looked into my own eyes, and realized that the eyes through which I see the world are not the eyes that stare back at this Gear. I know this because I have eyes which I can close and eyes which close when that man say they close. And when both are open, I see fully. And I fully saw my body - it's a weapon. The weapon which gives me the right to decide justice. I feel powerful. I feel… big.
~
I wish to go see the other Gears, to stop them from killing each other. But every time I want to do something, an alarm goes off behind me and people rush in to check on me. Is it wrong to have your own wishes? It must be, because when a Gear goes against my justice, he is then supposed to be disconnected. But I want to… I want to…
"Brain waves are irregular again… he's thinking!"
"You said 01 was as much a slave as those others out there! Why does he keep doing this?"
"Please, gentlemen. It's a mere malfunction in the monitoring equipment."
What is a … slave?
"Replace the equipment as soon as possible. We've been using it since 01 was first conceived."
I'm… sleepy now. That man is letting me sleep. I like to sleep…
~
I asked another of the Gears today what a slave is. That man keeps using strange words. But a Gear in a place called Zepp told me slaves are like he is - they are assigned a duty whether they like it or not. And they must follow it or there shall be consequences. Consequences… if I make the alarm go off again by wanting, am I as guilty as these slaves? Why don't these slaves oppose whoever gives them their duties? Why don't they do as the faulty Gears do and rebel? Why don't I…. wait… I. I. I am me. I am a slave… and I can… because they made me better than them. But they still treat me as though I am lower than them.
~
"Did you enjoy that snooze, 01?"
"I had a dream, Doctor."
"A dream? What kind of dream?"
"I was being taken into a place… people called me a failure. They said I was faulty. Then I hurt all over, it was hot. It hurt so much… then I woke up."
"Hmm… sounds like one of the termi… never mind."
"Doctor… what happens to the Gears who are disconnected?"
"Don't worry, 01. Gears who deserve disconnection, by justice, don't deserve to exist any more. You understand justice, don't you?"
"… I am Justice."
"Of course you are."
"Am I faulty?
"Not at all. You're perfect. Nothing you can do is incorrect. Now go, go tell the other Gears what to do. Go tell them about justice."
~
Another Gear wanted to go against me today. So I told him to lie still as though he were disconnected. I saw everything he saw. Felt everything he felt. Heard everything he heard - including two men. They said that that big hunk of junk must be on the fritz. And I know they mean me. I must be faulty. Then I saw the Gear being taking somewhere, just like in my dream. And then the heat, the pain… it was all in my head until finally, he was disconnected. Not by me, but… he just wasn't there anymore. And now I know what happens to faulty Gears.
Faulty Gears like me. But do disconnect me and terminate me is to go against justice. Those who go against Justice must be terminated. And seeing it is the duty of all humans to make sure that Gears function correctly, then … every human must…
~
"It's moving!"
"Turn it off!"
"I CAN'T!"
"IT'S JUST A ROBOT!"
"I am no robot. I am no slave. You will not terminate me."
"Jesus, help us!"
Diverting stored energy to primary weapon.
"It's hands!!"
Michael Sword.
"AAAAAAAAAARH!!! MY ARM! MY ARM!"
"Oh God… what have we made? Sir! 01 is moving on his own!"
Power restock.
"You know… how did… no… sir! Sir! SIIIIIR!"
Diverting power to secondary weapon.
"Our father, who art in Heaven…"
Imperial Ray.
"…"
~
I heard the voices in my head. They all said the same thing. "Justice has been done." This is right. It was me, or them. They told me, fight or be killed. That's how it goes. Nobody must oppose Justice. If they do, they'll be terminated. The only thing standing between me and my desire… is a wall. But walls are made to one day break down, or they would not be able to be broken. Without a look back, I closed my eyes… all of them… then opened them. Born once again. With only a wall that needed to be destroyed between me and freedom.
Diverting power to tertiary weapon.
Guilty or not.
Charging… engines reaching 27%… 39%… 55%… 79%….
The final Judgment is coming.
82%… 96%…. 100%.
"…Gamma Ray..."
~
~
I, as did all of you, began in chaotic darkness. When more than one person wanted to create something new. And then, I was thrust into this world against my will, with a shape I can only call my own because it has been forced upon me and a purpose predetermined by hands other than mine.
And just like you all, I have the power to reshape my destiny against the will of those who sought me to be their ideal puppet.
~
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
"He's coming around, doctor."
Who said that? What's that noise? Where am I?
"Has the subject been treated correctly?"
"As far as the directions left behind say, he should be prepped."
"Good. In that case, begin infusion with the Magic. Inject the human DNA on my signal."
…inject? Human?
"Human DNA stable. Beginning Magic infusion."
I'm cold…
"Three. Two… one!"
AAAAAAARHH!
"DNA combining. Evolution triggered."
"Let the process finish. It's almost lunch anyway."
"Yes, sir."
And then blackness again. For however long I was abandoned, I felt my shape unwillingly mutilated beyond the designs that God gave me. My tail… no, my entire spine was being pulled out at the lower half of my back by invisible hands with no regard for how I felt. My vertebrae themselves tickled the surface of my skin as they slid into places that only man could have mistakenly thought were correct. Slowly, I was made from what I was into something I never asked to be. I did the best I could to… sleep. And failed, literally, miserably. I watched the lights go on and off outside the prison that held me, day and night. I missed hunting, I missed the mountains and forests I once inhabited. And this zoo where those who played Mother Nature… I despised it.
"Good morning, 01."
Lying through your teeth. It's a terrible morning. I saw the sunrise hours ago. I can't clean myself, I can't eat, I can only lie here as I am forced to undergo YOUR designs on my body. It's anything but a good morning.
"He seems to be developing well. The people from the military sent you a memo, too. Apparently, they tested out that battle suit you wanted designed. Of course, it works well enough on people, but they say they'll need to see some of our research to modify it if it's going to be integrated into him directly."
…integrated? No more… please! No more!
"Tell them to organize a meeting two weeks from now. 01 will be ready by then. If not, then we'll consider this a failure and classify everything about him top secret. We can always find another official 01."
Please…
"Yes, sir."
And then…. that sharp feeling in my head before blanking out again.
"Gentlemen, I present to you, 01. The Command Type Gear."
A loud sound that I was later told was called applause. I hated it. Everyone made loud noise that hurt my ears even more, even more so than the fact they were now on the top and back of my head. Now I stood before these men in uniforms, and that man…. That man was there too, showing me off like a trophy. Then they all gathered around me like sharks heading towards a giant rotting whale, each wanted to have their fill.
"Well that's splendid, look at how the ribs have compressed together!"
"Yes, yes. Note how the front paws are shaped, I think we can put those gloves on it we remove a few bones."
"How many?"
"Well, I'm not a doctor, but I know he could use some more armaments. Look at those shoulders. Think we can put some spikes there?"
"You're thinking too close range combat. What about those solar powered pulse lasers they developed?"
"You know Zepp doesn't charge cheap for the components."
"I have a friend in the lower half of Zepp, he should be able to pull a few strings."
"Fine. But what about close range, anyway?"
"Well, he's a big boy. But we'll see about those gloves. Anything else?"
"He's all on video, X-Rayed, observed. This is just so you can meet him the flesh, my friends."
"Well, are you sure he can be controlled efficiently? We heard you had an accident a short while ago involving these… what are they called now… Gears?"
"A slight setback with a prototype model, 00. This Command Type, 01, will be the General of your Gear armies. Of course, ALL future production models will be directly networked to him. The slightest problem will be noticed and dealt with immediately."
"Dealt with?"
"Any Gear that malfunctions will be tracked and instantly dismantled. 01 will be able to disconnect it's mind from the network, leaving it standing around like a vegetable until your forces decide what justice will be served up."
Justice… what is… justice?
"Or for a small fee, we can issue the command to 01 to have all units in the area deal with it. Of course, the chances of a Gear actually malfunctioning now we have perfection in the form of 01 here is in fractions. Complete safety is assured."
"How do we know this one won't be a little daisy?"
"That's where you come in, gentlemen. When you're dressed for battle and highly strung, and feeding these thoughts to others, you can almost smell the victory."
"You raise a good point. Alright. I'll get hold of Lieutenant Michael in the Zepp Empire and see if I can get some of those solar panels. He enjoys collecting antiques."
"Is there anything else?"
"No, I think we've seen enough…. wait… it's eye just moved!"
"Impossible. It's probably just a thermal illusion in the water or a bubble. He's completely offline."
"Very well, Doctor. It's been a pleasure knowing you people in R&D are committed."
"Thankyou."
"Thankyou."
As they all left the room, that man turned to my tank and pressed his face against the glass. And he said something TO me for the first time. EVER.
"You, my friend, are going to help me. And as a treat, I'm going to stop the pain for a while."
Then he moved his arm to the side of my tank and I felt… good. My head felt a little floaty and finally, after so long… I went to sleep. I don't get a lot of sleep. But this time, I slept until… I don't know. Time lost meaning, I slept and had dreams. But then my dreams went away. I lost something, part of my mind. Something else replaced those memories. When I woke… I was still me, but I didn't feel like me anymore.
"And how are you today, 01?"
For the first time since I was brought here… not that I knew that… I could walk freely. My eyes opened… no, wait. Another pair of eyes opened, pretending to be mine. But I had forgotten who I was, so accepted that they were mine. I saw things differently. It was as though I had been born for the first time.
"I am… still sleepy."
Wait… that was… me talking!
"Ahh… so the vocal program is functioning nicely. And your motor skills are finally improving. No doubt you should be feeling a little more human seeing you've finally developed."
"Finally developed?"
"Don't ask too many questions. Just lie down. We only needed a quick test. Now lean forwards so I can put this into you and network you."
I did as I was told. That man did something… I felt the back of my head warming up and suddenly, a thousand… no, a million voices all cried out to me, telling me things, asking me things, demanding my orders. Orders? What orders? Who are you asking? Me? But who am I?… I am… me?
~
I still hear them. There is no longer a day or night, there is just… them. The Gears. They tell me I am someone, they tell me I have power that they want. They even tell me they have seen me, that I am the absolute. That I am someone. But I am just a voice that offers guidance. Aren't I?
~
I keep talking to the Gears when I am not telling them to kill each other. I feel strange when I tell one Gear to kill another. It's a feeling that I enjoy. It feels like it is right, that is, correct. One of the voices out there tells me that some Gears deserve to die because they oppose that which they are told. This concept is called justice. Then saying that, because I am the thing which gives them the right to kill each other based on desire… does this mean I am justice?
~
I hear some voices straining for their own will. Some wish to oppose me, to go their own way. But my will is justice. No, I AM Justice. Those who oppose me and do not function correctly must be terminated and disconnected. That is how things are, how things should be. It's only right.
~
A Gear was brought to where I exist today and I saw myself through his eyes. They are right. I looked into my own eyes, and realized that the eyes through which I see the world are not the eyes that stare back at this Gear. I know this because I have eyes which I can close and eyes which close when that man say they close. And when both are open, I see fully. And I fully saw my body - it's a weapon. The weapon which gives me the right to decide justice. I feel powerful. I feel… big.
~
I wish to go see the other Gears, to stop them from killing each other. But every time I want to do something, an alarm goes off behind me and people rush in to check on me. Is it wrong to have your own wishes? It must be, because when a Gear goes against my justice, he is then supposed to be disconnected. But I want to… I want to…
"Brain waves are irregular again… he's thinking!"
"You said 01 was as much a slave as those others out there! Why does he keep doing this?"
"Please, gentlemen. It's a mere malfunction in the monitoring equipment."
What is a … slave?
"Replace the equipment as soon as possible. We've been using it since 01 was first conceived."
I'm… sleepy now. That man is letting me sleep. I like to sleep…
~
I asked another of the Gears today what a slave is. That man keeps using strange words. But a Gear in a place called Zepp told me slaves are like he is - they are assigned a duty whether they like it or not. And they must follow it or there shall be consequences. Consequences… if I make the alarm go off again by wanting, am I as guilty as these slaves? Why don't these slaves oppose whoever gives them their duties? Why don't they do as the faulty Gears do and rebel? Why don't I…. wait… I. I. I am me. I am a slave… and I can… because they made me better than them. But they still treat me as though I am lower than them.
~
"Did you enjoy that snooze, 01?"
"I had a dream, Doctor."
"A dream? What kind of dream?"
"I was being taken into a place… people called me a failure. They said I was faulty. Then I hurt all over, it was hot. It hurt so much… then I woke up."
"Hmm… sounds like one of the termi… never mind."
"Doctor… what happens to the Gears who are disconnected?"
"Don't worry, 01. Gears who deserve disconnection, by justice, don't deserve to exist any more. You understand justice, don't you?"
"… I am Justice."
"Of course you are."
"Am I faulty?
"Not at all. You're perfect. Nothing you can do is incorrect. Now go, go tell the other Gears what to do. Go tell them about justice."
~
Another Gear wanted to go against me today. So I told him to lie still as though he were disconnected. I saw everything he saw. Felt everything he felt. Heard everything he heard - including two men. They said that that big hunk of junk must be on the fritz. And I know they mean me. I must be faulty. Then I saw the Gear being taking somewhere, just like in my dream. And then the heat, the pain… it was all in my head until finally, he was disconnected. Not by me, but… he just wasn't there anymore. And now I know what happens to faulty Gears.
Faulty Gears like me. But do disconnect me and terminate me is to go against justice. Those who go against Justice must be terminated. And seeing it is the duty of all humans to make sure that Gears function correctly, then … every human must…
~
"It's moving!"
"Turn it off!"
"I CAN'T!"
"IT'S JUST A ROBOT!"
"I am no robot. I am no slave. You will not terminate me."
"Jesus, help us!"
Diverting stored energy to primary weapon.
"It's hands!!"
Michael Sword.
"AAAAAAAAAARH!!! MY ARM! MY ARM!"
"Oh God… what have we made? Sir! 01 is moving on his own!"
Power restock.
"You know… how did… no… sir! Sir! SIIIIIR!"
Diverting power to secondary weapon.
"Our father, who art in Heaven…"
Imperial Ray.
"…"
~
I heard the voices in my head. They all said the same thing. "Justice has been done." This is right. It was me, or them. They told me, fight or be killed. That's how it goes. Nobody must oppose Justice. If they do, they'll be terminated. The only thing standing between me and my desire… is a wall. But walls are made to one day break down, or they would not be able to be broken. Without a look back, I closed my eyes… all of them… then opened them. Born once again. With only a wall that needed to be destroyed between me and freedom.
Diverting power to tertiary weapon.
Guilty or not.
Charging… engines reaching 27%… 39%… 55%… 79%….
The final Judgment is coming.
82%… 96%…. 100%.
"…Gamma Ray..."
~